Discipline Priest Netherlight Crucible Recommendations

This section of the Discipline Priest Guide explains the best relic trait choices for the Netherlight Crucible, a new system of artifact weapon progression added in Patch 7.3 Legion. The author of this guide is Jak or AutomaticJak, Priest Healer for Vision on US-Kel'thuzad. He's been raiding in WoW for almost 6 years straight with his most recent accomplishments of finishing Mythic Nighthold US - 15, World 69th.

Netherlight Crucible Overview

The Netherlight Crucible is a new system added in Patch 7.3. The Crucible allows you further empower your Artifact Weapon, by specializing and increasing the power from your relics. With it, each relic receives a small talent tree that you can select new traits from, depending how many traits your weapon have. Do not worry, however, because with the changes to Artifact Knowledge, unlocking the full power of the Crucible won't take long. Learn everything about this new system in our Netherlight Crucible Guide.

The first tier of unlocks happens as you unlock the crucible giving you +5 item level per relic. (total of 15 item levels).

Important

Picking a path on the Crucible will require looking for the best overall path not just one trait deciding everything. Look at all options when considering which path to take.

Tier 2 Traits

The Second tier of unlocks happens at 60,63,66.

The traits unlock randomly but below is a rough priority for which traits to chose if given the choice between them. It is worth noting that as a healer the game will force at least one of your "Shadow" or "Holy" Traits to be a throughput increase, the other however can be a damage trait. The following is a relative ranking of the traits. With the opening of Antorus, der Brennende Thron, it is now possible to obtain Insigne der Großen Armee, which increases the potency of your Tier 2 Crucible traits by 50%. It might be a really strong legendary if you are lucky with Netherlight Crucible rolls!

Mörderische Absichten - Random versatility proc added onto the Concordance effect. Randomness is a concern, especially with more stats/bonuses being focused into a small window of time

Peinigt die Schwachen - Light DoT with high uptime. Offers trickle Atonement healing, but does not synergize well with Disc's rampup/burst style or the ever increasing burstiness of boss encounters

Finstere Sorgen - Niche effect that is extremely poor on single target, and would require a high number of targets to beat out other traits above. The tier's thusfar have had few in the way of consistent high-enemy encounters, so it will be very difficult for this trait to see much promises

As it stands right now taking Meister der Schatten will always be the priority option being better than all of the Light traits AND all of the shadow traits, mastery being a strong stat, and avoidance being extremely effective in surviving dungeons and raids even after the slight nerfs were recently implemented.

Tier 3 Traits

These traits unlock at 69,72,75 traits in your weapon. These mimic your "Bronze" traits, though they cannot roll the trait you already have on that relic. For these ones you should follow the same ordering as your standard relics. Be sure to observe when you acquire new relics, what the last tier traits are available. A very unattractive relic at face value could turn out to be much better than expected due to the T3 traits that are offered.